Shadow
by opera777
Summary: On a cold night as snow covers the ground a young girl cries over an obsidian marker. Now translated into Polish! How cool is that!


A/n: For entertainment purposes only, no money will be made from this work of fiction. I have no money only my imagination and that really is only worth something to me. So honestly you would really be wasting your time.

For the rest of you this is slightly AU but I have loosely tried to stick with cannon. hope you like it please review it makes my day and brightens my bleak existence.

Shadow

She was there, just as she would always be on this day. Kneeling in the snow beside the obsidian marker, ignoring the sting in her knees as the snow melted and soaked through her cloak stinging her skin. But it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

"...I miss you so much Severus." She whispered. "Sometimes I don't know how I even get through my day. I keep expecting you to walk in the room or see you leaning against the bookshelves when I walk into the library. Your charm in there still works you know, after two hours of me being lost in a book the kettle whistles and still makes me a cup of tea. I miss you so much. I know it's selfish of me but I almost whish you had been a ghost and then I wouldn't have to be so completely without you.

"But that is unequivocally selfish and I am sorry. You needed to be free of this world; I know that. Minerva asked me the other day to substitute potions class, an entire day of Gryffindors and slytherins from third year all the way up to sixth." She smiled through her tears, "I can almost hear you groaning now. I don't know why Minerva wont let the classes mix it would make it so much easier on everyone. But you know Minerva and the previous headmasters they all seem to scream tradition at the same time. But it's those traditions that keep the lines in the sand aren't they? As if I am telling you something you didn't already know. But a full blocked day of gryffindor slytherin was the least of my worries.

"I damn near didn't make it to the classroom. I put one foot in that hallway and all I could think about was you, at one point I expected you to come breezing down the hallway. I stood in our niche; I could almost feel your arms around me again and hear you breathe. What I wouldn't give to have that again. Just that quiet embrace that told me everything you were thinking." Hermione sniffed and tears spilled down her cheeks. "Remember that night we said fuck it and apparated to Paris and we were gone for three days? I think that is the most impulsive thing we have ever done."

A dark figure walked into the cemetery and silent as it crossed the snow seemingly as if it were floating. The figure stopped about twenty feet from the crying young lady and the ominous obsidian marker. The silver head of the cane flashed in the moonlight as it moved from one hand to the other as the owner waited. He was here for remembrance and wouldn't encroach on the young ladies time knowing she had as much of a right to be there as he. As he stilled himself he could hear her whispered words clearly through the snow hushed air.

"On second thought I think our first kiss was the most impulsive thing we had ever done, it just happened, In the middle of an argument no less. It was amazing. When I was getting ready in the classroom for the first gryffindor/slytherin class to come in." She said wiping at a tear that had slipped to her chin not realising she was no longer alone.

"I don't know how many times I made the door slam. I just wanted something to be there that was you. The classroom is such an abomination now; the new potions master has made it look more like a hangout than a potions laboratory. And the store cupboard, it was horrible and it broke my heart. I wanted to put it all back the way you had it. The way a potions cupboard should be but I know I shouldn't because it doesn't belong to you any more and it never will again. Severus I need you with me so much, I need you to tell me I am being a silly woman or for being insidiously gryffindor. I just love you so much it's so painful not having you here with me.

"I tried to ask Minerva if I could talk to your portrait but it was pointless I broke into tears before I got the first word out. I can almost feel you scowling at me. I don't know what happened to the gryffindor courage that you always lamented I had. Maybe that's just me being selfish again or maybe its just cowardice. I don't want to face them without you I don't know how to do it."

She whimpered her cries and leaned her head against the marker tears sparkling in the moonlight as she tried to wipe them away with her glove. The dark figure made a move towards her but stilled when she started talking again.

"This is fine talk for your birthday isn't it?" She asked with a watery laugh. "I know death for you is probably wonderful. I hope you are well and when it's my time you will be there waiting for me. No, I wont do something ridiculously gryffindor. I will wait for my time with your memories to keep me warm. But you! You great greasy bastard! You have no idea how hard that will be for me. I'm sorry I know how much you hate being called that. I just miss you so much and all I want is to hold you again...I love you Severus Snape and I will never stop."

Hermione broke down and sobbed against the grave of her husband. Her cries of pain almost a physical entity in the quiet night. A soft handkerchief was pressed to her face and Hermione looked up into the silver eyes of the only man in the world who knew about her and Severus.

A better friend she had never known. He had stood witness for them on their wedding day. On the rare night when Lucius needed not be in attendance with the dark lord he would come to Hogwarts and sit with Hermione in Severus's quarters. He even patiently listened when Hermione had been afraid or frustrated at Severus having to go before the dark lord time and time again. She gave him a watery smile.

"I miss him so much Lucius." She said as the tears began falling again.

"As do I Hermione." He said quietly and held his hand out to her. "I know I am not your husband but will you allow me..."

She nodded and placed her hand in his and he helped her stand. He cast a warming charm and a drying charm on her clothes she muttered a thank you. He pulled her into his arms and held her fast. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his neck.

"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for being such a good friend to him."

"Shhh." He said hushing her. "Close your eyes Mrs. Snape and let me be what you need."

She closed her eyes and thought about her husband and the time, that seemed so long ago, when she was her husbands assistant in her fifth year. How they had tried to ignore their feelings for the other and began arguing more and more sniping at each other whenever they had the slightest chance. Until the teachers had locked them in the potions cupboard until either they worked it out or hexed each other into oblivion. But what the teachers thought was a clash of similar personalities was a blossoming love for each other. During their brief incarceration they had shared their first kiss.

And then it was like feindfyre.

Love and passion had grown at almost at an alarming rate. She smiled at the antics they had gone through to spend time together when they weren't in a classroom setting. It had been anything from detentions to planned chance meetings. Sometimes Severus cursed at his inability to be logical about things when Hermione was involved. When Hermione had been promoted to head girl in her sixth year she had connected her fireplace with Severus's and they had begun basically co-habituating right under the Headmasters nose. How Severus loved that he had something with Hermione that special and strong but he also loved that the Headmaster hadn't the faintest idea,

She knew that Severus had suspicions that he wouldn't survive the war. So on Hermione's eighteenth birthday he had asked her to marry him in a little Italian restaurant in London. His eyes were so bright with hope she had never seen him look so young and openhearted. She loved that look on his face and she didn't have to wait long to see it again when she married him four months later in a small chapel near spinners end. Lucius had been their only guest and witness. He, Lucius, had even bought Hermione her wedding dress and provided for their honeymoon in quiet château in the French Alps. They came back to the school at the end of Christmas hols and then all hell broke loose.

It had been Bellatrix who had killed the headmaster instead of Severus. Harry and Ron had gone on the run looking for horcruxes while Hermione had remained at Hogwarts holed up in the Potions Masters quarters and watched as everything went to pot. She had gone to Harry and Ron the night they were caught by the snatchers and taken to the manor. She hadn't seen Lucius since their wedding and at the first sight of him it was obvious why. At one point he had come down into the dungeons while the others had been sleeping and he had squeezed her hand and begged her to be strong, he and Severus were doing everything in their power. She finally got to see her husband after they had escaped the manor. She had rushed to the headmaster's office once they were at Hogwarts and she had barely recognized him the light was out of his eyes. He had held her so tight that night. Telling her how much he loved her as if he was trying to engrave it on her soul and heart and there in his arms she swore she would never love another. Twelve hours later they met again in the shrieking shack and they shared their final kiss.

Under Hermione's cheek she felt Lucius shudder and she couldn't help herself from laughing quietly.

"What's the matter Lucius? Someone walking on your grave?" She knew the question was inappropriate but she couldn't help herself she was so wrung out from mourning.

"Another step to the left and you will be." Said a voice that did not belong to Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione froze.

No.

It wasn't possible.

Was it?

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath _Please please please?_ She looked up.

"Severus?"

"Hermione."

Hermione sighed and brought herself back to reality. _This isn't real. _"Lucius this was really sweet of you but you didn't have to."

"Do what?" Lucius asked removing the disillusionment charm he had on himself appearing about 10 feet away on the other side of her husbands' grave. "My dear Madame Snape you have in your arms the genuine article."

Hermione looked up into her husband's eyes a smile fighting it's way onto her face.

"Really?"

"Really really." He said solemnly.

Hermione reached up and grabbed his lapels and pulled him down to kiss her. At first the kiss was harsh and affirming as if the other was trying to prove that the other was truly there. Then the kiss gentled as their souls reconnected and began to heal. It broke with a sigh and a desperate need for air. They never left each others embrace just kept hanging on afraid either would disappear if they were not touching.

"You know I have a hundred questions?"

"Only a hundred?"

"Severus?"

"hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Hermione." He said bending down and capturing her lips.

Finite

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"Would you two mind terribly if we moved this to a more hospitable environment?" Lucius asked as the snow began falling and he recast the warming charm on his feet. "I'm getting bloody cold."

Severus released Hermiones lips with a long suffering sigh. "If you insist Lucius. To the manor I presume?"

"Yes, the library."Lucius said nodding. "Oh and by the by Severus Happy Birthday."

And they apparated.

§Finite Incantem§


End file.
